Shooting gallery



Jan. 23, 1940. in. E. 'SQUIRE snow-1m: GALLERY Original Eiled April 17,19:56

immmw zmw HIS Al'IORNEY.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 snoo'rmc GALLERY Natlien E. Squire, Chicago,111., assignor to Ford Amusement Devices, Inc., Chicago, IlL, acorporation 01' Illinois Original 74,837.

application April 1'1,

Divided and this application Octoberg I 1936, Serial No.

9, 1936, Serial No. 104,850. Renewed Novem- 1 her 27, 1939 Thisinvention relates to certain novel improvementsin fraud preventive meansfor a shooting gallery, and has for its principal object the provisionof an improved construction of this character which will be highly andeconomical in manufacture.

This application is a division of that filed in the United States PatentOflice on or about the 17th day of April, 1936, Serial No. 74,837, iprLetters Patent on an amusement apparatus. One of the objects of thisinvention is the provision of means for preventing the operation of thetarget releasing mechanism including an electrical relay by the use of abeam of light from a source other than that of the gun of the shootinggallery. 7 Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combina- .tion and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will bebest understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing thepreferred form of construction, and in which the single figure is adiagrammatical view of the circuit and electrical instrumentalities ofthe invention.

Referring to the single figure, a gun is indicated at I0, and includes abarrel ll, through which a beam of light from a light bulb i2 is soadapted to be projected. One sideof this .bulb I2 is connected by aconductor 13 to the barrel ID of the gun. The barrel ID of the gun hasleading'therefrorn a conductor II which connects to one side of a 35mercury switch l5 carried by the gun. The other side of the mercuryswitch is connected by a conductor I 6 to the secondaryside ll of atransformer l8. The other side 01' the light bulb l2 is'connected by aconductor l9 to the secondary 40 side ll of the transformer I 8, theprimary side 20 of the transformer being connected by conductors' 2| and22- through switch-24 to a main input indicated at 23.

Provided on the gun I0 is a special triggeroperated. switch meansincluding switch 32 ,and switch 51, adapted to be operated substantiallyin unison or at least in quick succession by an actuating element 11havinga pair of oiiset lateral pins 18 and 19 respectively engageablewith d switches 32 and 51 to operate the same when -the actuating member11 is reciprocated by-the trigger mechanism 30. The gun III ispreferably of the type described aforesaid pending'applicatlon, and iseflect the projection of a flash oreflicient in use light when thetrigger is pulled. In the schematic showing herein, the dotted lineconnection between the trigger 80 and the shutter 8| indicates thecontrol of the shutter by the trigger, the detailed shutter mechanismnot being shown 5 herein since it does not, per se, constitute a part ofthe invention.v Any shutter or light emitting means may be used, itbeing merely necessary that the gun have some form of trigger oranalogous control for actuation of the trigger-operated 10 switch means,the-trigger control being desirably though not necessarily arranged toefiect the "emission of a flash of light when it is operated. In circuitwith the conductor 2| there is incorporated a shot limit switch 24. Inthe present 15 instance the shot limit switch 24 is shown under thecontrol of. a cam 25 adapted to open the switch when the cam is rotateda certain distance from a. normal position by a ratchet mechanism 18driven by a-solenoid 21 against the tension of 20 I a coil spring I5 anda latching pawl 16' releasable by a reset magnet 28. g One side 'of themagnetic solenoid 21 is ,con-

nected by a conductor 29 to the conductor 2|,

the other side being connected bya conductor '26 30 to one side 3| of atrigger switch 32 formed as a part of the gun I. The other side'33 ofthis trigger switch 32 is connected by a conductorto the conductor 22.The reset magnet 28.has

one side connected by means of a conductor 35 so to the conductor 49,the other side'of the reset magnet being connected by a conductor 36 toone side 31 01' a coin controlled mvitch 38, which coin controlledswitch 38 has its other side 39 connected by a conductor 40 to theconductor 34. 35

' Incorporated in the circuit is a thud sounder 4! including a magneticsolenoid 42, one side of which is connected y a conductor 43 to theconductor 30,while the other side is connected by a conductor 44 to theconductor 35. 40

The target structure is substantially similarto that disclosed in mypending'application heretofore referred to, and this target structureincludes a motor 45, one side of which is connected by a conductor 48 tothe conductor 22, and the 5 opposite side is connected by a conductor 41to the side 43 of -the switch 24. From the opposite side of this switch24 there is provided a shunt conductor 49 leading to one side of a shuntswitch 50, the other side of the switch 50 being 50 connected by aconductor 5| to the conductor 41, as shown.

From the side 48' of the switch 24 there leads a conductor 32 toone'side ota controlled instrumentality which in this instance is thetarget reis incorporated a signal 55, preferably though not necessarilyin the form of a bell, the magnetic coil of which is connected byconductors .56

and-56' to the conductors 54 and 52, respectively.

The gun I0 provides a second or iraud preventive trigger switch 51, oneside of which is connected by a conductor 58 to one side of a switch 59of an amplifier or photo-cell relay 60. The other side of this switch 59is connected by a conductor- 6| to one side of a fraud preventive relay62, the switch 53 of which is incorporated in the circuit of the targetrelease solenoid. The other side of the fraud preventive relay isconnected by a conductor 64 to the side 48 of the shot limit switch.

The coil of the amplifier relay is incorporated in the output .side ofan amplifier unit diagrammatically indicated at 65, the power input ofthe amplifier unit being connected by conductors 65 to the mainpowersource 23, and the signal input side of the amplifiercircuit beingconnected by conductors 61 to stationary contact elements 68 of thetarget structure, and these stationary contact elements 58 operativelyengage movable contact elements 69 connected by conductors 10 to thephoto-electric cell 1!. A target member 1| having an opening 1!",through which light may pass, may be positioned before the photo- 1electric cell 1 I In operation, the beam of light from the bulb I2directed to the photo-electric cell .11 will when impinging upon thecell 1| actuate the amplifier 65 and cause the energization of thephoto-cell or amplifier relay. 6D to close the switch 59there of. Theclosing of this switch 59 will not permit the flow of current throughthe fraud preventive circuit including the fraud preventive relay 62unless the trigger switch 51 is closed. When the trigger switch 51 isclosed and when the switch 59 of the amplifier relay 60 isclosed, thefraud preventive or supervisory relay 62 will be energized by currentfrom the main power source, and when thus energized the switch 63 willbe closed,

thus completing a circuit between the target release solenoid 53 and themain power source 23 to cause the energization and operation of thetarget release solenoid.

The present circuit is intended for use with a type of target mechanismsuch as disclosed in my co-pending application, and especially providesmeans for preventing the actuation of the target-release solenoid 53 bydirecting a flash or beam of light upon the cell from a source otherthan from the light bulb l2.

Upon closing the coin switch 38, an operation of the triggercloses thetwo trigger switches 32 and 51, the former closing a circuit through thethud-sounder 4| and stepping the shot counter 2125 once, while thelatter trigger switch 51 puts battery on the relay switch 59. Should theflash or beam from the gun strike the photocell 1|, amplifier 65 willenergize the photocell relay winding 60 and close switch 59 with theresult that the supervisory or fraud preventive relay 62 will beenergized to operate fraudpreventive relay switch 63, thus actuating thesignal 55 and the target solenoid 53.

By the useof a fraud preventive circuit such as is here described, it ismanifest that a beam of light from a'source other than from the bulb l2will not effect the operation of the target release solenoid, andtherefore one is prevented from fraudulently operating the device bymeans of light from a source other than the bulb l2 in the gun.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstructionfor carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation andmodification without departing from the.

spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to theprecise details of construction set forth, but desire'to avail myself ofsuch variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric shooting gallery of the type having a light gun and aphoto-sensitive target device arranged in a circuit to control anelectrical hit-indicating mechanism for actuation of the latter when thetarget device is struck by light, a control circuit including: atriggeroperated switch in said gun and connected in circuit with saidhit-indicating mechanism and arranged to be efiective to preventoperation of the latter mechanism unless said trigger switch is operatedat substantially the same time said photo-sensitive target device isoperated.

2. In an electric shooting gallery of the type having a main circuitincluding a light gun and a photo-sensitive target device and electricalhitindicating means for operation by said device when the same is struckby light, a control circult comprising: trigger-operated switch means insaid gun and arranged in circuit with said hit-indicating means toprevent operation of the same unless said switch means'is operated atsubstantially the same time said photo-sensitive target device isoperated, and trigger means for said gun and arranged to. actuate saidtrigger-operated switch means and effect emission of light from said gunat substantially the same moment upon pulling of the trigger.

3. A gun game comprising a target, a photoelectric cell associatedtherewith, a light gun and trigger control therefor arranged to projecta flash towards said ta'rget responsive to operation of said triggercontrol, controlled means arranged for operation by said cell whenenergized, means normally? rendering said cell-operated means incapableof actuation by the cell when the latter is energized, and meansoperatively controlled by said trigger control for rendering saidphoto-cell operated means capable of actuation by the cell when thelatter is energized responsive to operation of said trigger control.

4. In a marksmanship or analogous aim testing device, a target, anaiming device adapted to be aimed at said target, a trigger control,electrically operated mechanism operatively associated with saidtargetand arranged to indicate a hit when said aiming device is properlyaimed at the target, said aimingdevice being arranged and constructedfor coaction with said electrically operated mechanism .to stimulateoperation of the latter responsive to actuation of said trigger controland provided the aiming device is properly aimed at said target, meansnormally rendering said electrically operated mechanism incapable ofactuation, and means operatively controlled by said trigger control forrendering said. electrically operated mechanism operable for actuationto indicate a hit, the arrangement being such that it is necessary tooperate said trigger control in order that said electrically operatedmechanism may indicate a hit, thereby preventing actuation of saidelectrically operated mechanism by stimuli from sources other than saidaiming device.

5. In a shooting gallery, an aiming device in eluding a trigger switch,a photo-cell target device operable by said aiming device, and acontrolled instrumentality operable by said target device; together withfraud prevention means for rendering said controlled instrumentalityoperable by said target device only when said trigger switch and saidtarget device are simultaneously actuated, said fraud prevention meansincluding a supervisory relay for actuating said instrumentality, and aphoto-cell relay actuated by said target device and having a relayswitch in circuit with said trigger switch and said supervisory relay tooperate the latter only whensaid trigger switch is closed and saidphotocell relay is actuatedby said target device.

6. A fraud prevention circuit for .use with shooting galleries of thetype having a light gun, a photo-electric target device operated bylight from the gun, and hit-indicating mechanism operably controlled bythe target device when.

the same is struck by light, said circuit including a trigger switch onsaid gun and a fraud prevention relay operable to actuate said hit-'indicating mechanism, together with means for actuating the fraudprevention relay and including a second relay operable by said targetdevice and having a relay switch closed thereby to complete an actuatingcircuit through said fraud prevention relay and said trigger switch insuch manner that the trigger switch and said second relay must beoperated substantially at the same time to actuate said fraud preventionrelay.

7. In an electric shooting gallery, a light gun having trigger-operatedswitch means and trigger-operated light control means, together with aphoto-electric'target device actuated by light from said gun, anamplifier in circuit with said target device, an amplifier relayactuated by said amplifier, electrical mechanism for indicating a hit, afraud prevention relay operable to actuate said hit-indicating mechanismand connected in circuit for operation by said amplifier relay when saidphoto-electric target device is struck by light from said gun, saidtrigger-operated switch being connected in circuit with said fraudprevention relay and said hit-indicating mechanism in such manner thatthe operation of said amplifier relay and fraud prevention relay will beineffectual to operate said indicating mechanism unless said triggerswitch means is operated at the same time.

8. In an electric shoot gallery of the type having a light gun andtrigger means operable to effect emission of light from said guntogether with photo-cell target mechanism operable by light from saidgun, a control circuit comprising: a photo-cell relay operable by saidphoto-cell target device, electrically operable indicating mechanism anda supervisory actuating relay,

therefor, said supervisory relay being connected in circuit with saidphoto-cell relay and a trigger switch operated by said trigger means onsaid gun such that the simultaneous operation of said trigger switchmeans and photo-cell relay will energize said supervisory relay andactuate said indicating mechanism. I

9. An electric shooting gallery having a photosensitive target device, alight gun and trigger means operable to cause the emission of light fromsaid gun to actuate said target device, electrical hit-indicatingmechanism and a fraud prevention relay operably controlling the same andconnected in circuit with said photo-sensitive target device foractuation by the latter to operate said indicating mechanism when thetarget device is struck by light, and a first trigger switch in said gunarrangedin circuit with said fraud prevention relay for operation ofsaid indicating mechanism when said fraud prevention relay is operatedby said photo-sensitive device, together with electrically drivenshotcounter and shot limit mechanism operably controlled by a second.trigger switch in, said gun and which is operated at substantially thesame time as said first trigger switch by said trigger means.

10. A gun game comprising a target, a photoelectric cell operativelyassociated with said target, a gun adapted to be aimed at the target,means associated with said gun for producing a flash of light,indicating means operable by said cell when the same is energized, meansnormally rendering said indicating means incapable of actuation by thecell as aforesaid, and means operated coincidentally with the flashproducing means of the gun for rendering said indicating means capableof actuation by the cell when energized.

11. A gun game comprising a target, a gun adapted to be aimed at thetarget, trigger mechanism therein, electrical means associated'with thetarget for indicating a hit, means normally rendering said electricalmeans incapable of actuation by extraneous stimuli, and means controlledby' said trigger mechanism for rendering said electrical means capableof actuation to indicate a hit.

12. A gun game comprising a target, a photo- 'electric cell operativelyassociated therewith, a

NA'I'EEN E. BQUIRE.

